Philippine friendship activities held in Taipei City today

Taipei City’s Department of Labor will hold a Philippines friendship day today, giving residents a chance to share in the festive spirit of the Philippines’ Sandugo Festival and its rich culture.

“The activity is aimed at sharing the passion for life and culture in the Philippines with people in Taiwan and gives some 8,000 Filipino workers in Taiwan a chance to demonstrate their singing and dancing talents,” the Department of Labor said in a statement yesterday.

As one of the city government’s Southeast Asian Cultural Activities series, the “Philippine Sandugo Festival 2009 — Friendship Day,” will be held at the 228 Peace Park in downtown Taipei today, beginning at noon.

A mask parade, a Philippine traditional dance contest, a live band performance and a lucky draw will be among the many activities featured at the event and the city government has called on residents to take part.

The Sandugo Festival is an annual event that takes place every March on the island of Bohol in the Philippines to commemorate the treaty of friendship between Datu Sikatuna, a chieftain in Bohol, and Spanish explorer Miguel Lopez de Legazpi.

The peace treaty was sealed March 16, 1565, through a blood pact.

The celebration usually involves a religious mass, a street parade and a Miss Bohol beauty pageant, while official tribal dance competitions also begin to coincide with the “Tigum Bol-anon Tibuok Kalibutan” (The People of Bohol) festival this month.